Tigers close out Hutto with 9-1 victory

CORSICANA — The Tigers closed out their bi-district playoff series in high definition on Friday night at Price Field.

The HD boys -- Heath Donica and Hunter Denbow -- put on a show as the Tigers won 9-1 in a Game 2 against Hutto to close out their Region II-4A b-district playoff series.

The Tigers will next play Hallsville in the area round of the playoffs next Friday and Saturday at a site to be determined.

Donica threw what Tigers coach Heath Autrey said was the best pitched game of the year by a Corsicana pitcher, and keep in mind this is a team that threw two six-inning no-hitters in the regular season. Denbow had five RBIs and he has 13 hits in the Tigers' last five games.

Donica allowed only three hits and had 13 strikeouts. He didn't have a walk in seven innings. Combined with Game 1 starter Holden Grounds, the Tigers had one walk in 14 innings.

"He pitched a great game," Autrey said. "He had a good fastball and worked off that."

The Tigers managed only a run off Anthony Asbill in the first three innings, and that was on a second-inning safety squeeze bunt by Zach Rash that scored Holden Grounds.

The Tigers broke it open in the bottom of the fourth. Jacob Peterson had a two-run double, Denbow had a two-run triple and Hunter Melton a run-scoring single for a 6-0 lead.

Denbow was at again in the fifth inning, slamming a three-run triple down the left field line for a 9-0 lead.